


Rematch

by shinealightrose



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Coffee and Soccer, Fluff, Jongdae is a jerk, M/M, Xiuhan are hot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 11:10:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6801334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinealightrose/pseuds/shinealightrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their friends have been trying to set them up for ages. They resist. Until they don’t.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rematch

**Author's Note:**

> For FairyTissueMinseok
> 
>  
> 
> Warnings: slight sexy times, not terribly rated. ;)

The first time Lu Han sees him, he thinks he’s made a big, big mistake.

“Wait, that’s the guy?”

His friend nods, not a single smile on his face, like he’s trying to remain serious. This is a serious topic. Jongdae has been trying to set him up with this guy for ages, but Lu Han is stubborn and he doesn’t trust his friend’s stoic expression. Or his motivations.

“You’re serious.”

“Yup.”

“Really.”

“Yup.”

“That’s the guy.”

“That’s what I just said.”

Lu Han balls his fists by the sides of his legs. “Damnit.”

Jongdae lets his cursing go, but now there’s a small smile cracking through his face as Jongdae’s eyes twinkle merrily, and his chin wobbles off to the side. Two seconds, three, four, five... ten, Lu Han stares through the windows of the small cafe observing the man inside. Strong jaw, high cheek bones, beautiful eyes, great hair, stellar body.

“Damnit,” he says again.

Then Jongdae laughs outright.

It takes him a full minute to quit, Lu Han’s elbow jamming into his ribs before they’re set to walk in the door. He didn’t know they were doing this today. This was a set-up. A set-up of a previous set-up, one in which Lu Han has already firmly rejected this guy, hands down, point-blank; and vice versa, via text.

_Hey this is Minseok. Jongdae gave me your number and said we would hit it off, but I just wanted to text you before they force us to meet and say that I’m probably not interested._

_Hi Minseok. I was going to say the same thing. Not interested right now. Shall we pretend we met and get this over with?_

_Fine. I’m Minseok. 25. I like football._

_Lu Han, 25, and I like coffee._

_I don’t like coffee. There, see. Not compatible._

_Great! That’s great! Perfect. I… don’t like football. Guess we don’t have to date now._

_Yep. Sounds fine to me. Have a great life, Lu Han._

  
  
  


“Damnit,” Lu Han echoes again. Someone remind him not to step down from a fight before he’s even checked out the stakes.

Friends are such bitches.

“You might have shown me a picture of him first,” he complains under his breath.

The overhead bell rings gently when they open the door, Jongdae pushing it open while he lets Lu Han inside. It’s a cute place, and it smells great. Aroma of coffee beans and pie. Lu Han’s stomach tingles pleasantly, and he avoids looking at the host where the man sits folded on top of a stool. Minseok slinks down from it at the sound of the bell, professionally bending in place at the customers. Then he spots Jongdae’s face and grins. He hasn’t even looked at Lu Han yet.

“Jongdae!”

“Minseok.” The two friends greet and hug, and Lu Han, in spite of being the other half of this set-up, feels like a third wheel.

“What brings you to this side of town?”

“Oh, nothing. Nothing. Just some coffee. Pie. You, my friend Lu Han here.”

At the sound of Lu Han’s name, the two strangers turn and face each other. Lu Han smiles apologetically. Minseok cocks his head, confused for a moment but then he seems to remember. “Ohhh….”

Jongdae said they’d be perfect for each other. Harped and harped on it until Lu Han was done, and Minseok annoyed. But now, damnit, Lu Han wishes he’d agreed. He wishes he’d have given this a chance instead of caving to his own ideas of singledom and freedom and not having to plan his schedule around a significant other. A life where he could do what he likes, see who he likes, drink coffee at any hour of the day and play football like his life depended on it.

“Lu Han…” Minseok is observing him now. He feels like a prized ostrich with Minseok’s gaze running up and down his body. “Lu Han… the guy who doesn’t like football. I remember now.”

Jongdae cackles unkindly, and Lu Han wishes he were an ostrich so he could stick his head in the sand and forget that time he was trying to make a point.

“Football,” Jongdae echoes. “Right. He hates it. _Hates_ it. Never seen a guy hate it more. Minseok, you lucked out. It’s my mistake, thinking you too would hit it off, but phew! Glad you two crazy kids figured that out before you met.” He winks. Lu Han wants to deck him and lay him out cold. With his foot.

“Yeah,” Minseok smirks. “I don’t know what you were thinking. Sorry, Lu Han, you may be a great guy, but I could never date someone who doesn’t play or even like my favorite sport.”

Lu Han’s still mad at Jongdae, but now he registers a different challenge instead. He stands up tall, relishes in the fact that Minseok is a good bit shorter, and smirks. He sniffs the air. “And you hate coffee? I guess that sucks for you, working in a cafe like this.”

The other challenger jolts a small hair, like in surprise, his nose quirking cutely —and if Lu Han hadn’t just knocked him down a peg intentionally, he’d be a tiny bit more interested. Or a lot.

But then Minseok recovers.

“Well, we can’t all work the dream job. I’ll manage. Can I show you two to a table?” Then he’s back being the professional host, and for some stupid reason Jongdae is still laughing his head off.

“Perfect. You two are perfect,” he mumbles under his breath. Lu Han beats him over the head with the plastic menu and both of them shut up.

Damnit.

For the rest of the afternoon Lu Han drinks his coffee, resting it between sips on his delicate palm, and he’s sure to smack his lips loud and appreciatively, so that everyone in the whole place knows how much he’s enjoying the brew. He and Jongdae chat about nothing in particular. Work stuff and what their plans are for the weekend, and how Jongdae’s doing with his boyfriend Joonmyun. All the while Lu Han slips covert glances at the host when he slips in and out from behind the counter, suspiciously passing up a mug of something hot that a waiter brings him from the back.

“He’s cute right?” Jongdae catches him looking.

Lu Han shrugs. “Yeah. Kinda. I suppose.”

“Too bad about the coffee and football thing though, huh?”

Lu Han shrugs again. “Yeah.” Where inside he’s seething in bitterness and possible missed opportunities. Really though… he could date someone who didn’t like coffee… He could do it… Especially a guy like that who smiles so handsomely.

“Ohhh well, too bad.” Jongdae pronounces the conclusion to this life effort with a devilish smile.

“Right,” Lu Han agrees sadly.

  
  
  
  
  
  


They meet again, unfortunately, a few weeks later.

Lu Han shows up to the neighborhood park wearing an overlarge tank top and athletic shorts, a sweat bag thrown over his shoulder featuring a change of clothes, a towel, his favorite pair of cleats and an extra ball. Every other weekend he plays a friendly game with a bunch of old school buddies who’ve amassed themselves into an amateur football team.

He throws his things next to a rickety collection of bleachers where his teammates gather. Jongdae is already there, stretched and exercised and ready to go apparently, with his lips on his boyfriend’s and his arms wrapped around Joonmyun’s waist. Joonmyun doesn’t play but he always comes along to cheer and support along with the usual crowd of boyfriends and girlfriends and the occasional spouses with their kids running around. Kyungsoo is actually the oldest, thirty-five years old with three kids under the age of eight. Lu Han just hopes he’s still that fit when he gets that old. But Kyungsoo is his role model, holding down a professional job and a family while still enjoying sports. Though Lu Han probably won’t have kids, the little ones are a pleasant addition to the fun atmosphere. They laugh and run around, banging into the other players as the guys and a few girls even go through their pre-game rituals.

Lu Han spots Jongin warming up in the grass. He sinks down beside him. “Ready?”

“Always,” the other replies with a grin.

Together they catch up from the week before and stretch their legs. Across the field the other team, a newly created group they haven’t played before, gathers and does the same. Lu Han shades his eyes and tries to get a peak.

“Anyone of them we know?” he asks Jongin.

“Some. A few are coming down from up north. One of the dissolved teams that’s just now patched up a decent support. Should be some new faces, but I doubt they’ve been practicing together for very long. Oughta be a cinch. We’ll beat them easily.”

Lu Hands nods, still cupping his eyes from under the sun. He hones in accidentally on a bent over pair of buttocks that look so, so nice. He’s not a perve, not really. It’s just the angle happens to be right, and it’s in Lu Han’s best interests as a team player to check out the strength in an opponent’s thighs. Which are captured tightly by the stretch of his shorts and accentuated by a thin line of the man’s neat, form fitting underwear. Lu Han swears his underwear don’t become a mite tighter, just from him staring.

The player stands up then, his back towards Lu Han’s side of the field. He crosses his arms up and over his head, twists to the left a couple times, then to the right. All the while Lu Han appreciates his waistline and sturdy upper body.

Jongin gasps.

“What?” Lu Han turns his head sharply towards him, and finds Jongin looking back at the same person Lu Han’s just been watching. “What is it? Who is it?”

Jongin’s answer and the man himself turning around so Lu Han can see his face coincide.

“Minseok. Kim Minseok, damn. I didn’t think he still played with amateurs like us. Shit, Lu Han, if they’ve recruited him, we are screwed…”

_Screwed._ Lu Han thinks on that word and the multiple meanings it might convey. Kim Minseok, according to Jongin’s continuing monologue, used to play pro until a recurring leg injury made him retire. He’s in decent shape now, but could never have managed a sustained career.

_Screwed,_  is Lu Han and Jongin and Kyungsoo and Jongdae’s team then if Kim Minseok is playing against them in their level.

And screwed is Lu Han, because he just lied to that same Kim Minseok two weeks ago and told him how much he hated football.

“Jongin… Jongin… Jongin…” He practically rips off the other’s man arm in his haste to get his attention.

“What?!”

“Jongin… y-you… you you… you be the captain today, okay?”

“What? Why? What’s wrong with you? I don’t want to be captain—”

“No, but I’m feeling kind of sick and if I barf on the field later or something, because you know it might happen, because I’m feeling kind of sick, then I don’t want to have to switch out later with you and waste time. You just take it, okay?!”

Lu Han is panicking. He may not even be lying about barfing on the field later. Or sooner. His stomach is churning. His lungs are squeezing, and damnit, Jongdae is a dead man if he knew Minseok was playing before today and decided not to warn Lu Han about it first.

_Minseok plays football._ Well of course he fucking does. He implied it was his number one hobby, of course he plays it. Of course life has to get messed up and make Lu Han meet Minseok out on the field when he’s supposed to hate this entire game.

And he just checked out Minseok’s ass and thighs. How embarrassing.

“You okay, Han?”  Jongdae’s voice sneaks up behind him, and Lu Han nearly takes him out by the shin.

“Jongdaeee….” he whines, lost.

His friend laughs, and that’s when Lu Han knows _he knew_.

“You….”

Through his laughing, lying teeth, Jongdae chuckles and sputters, “Oh, you’ve seen Minseok? Don’t worry. I’ll tell him we just recruited you as a replacement defender and you don’t really want to be doing this… Not even all that good… It’s okay if you miss a few tackles, Lu Han, we’ll forgive you. All for appearances’ sake, right?”

A part of his brain revolts. Jongdae wants him to play. Jongdae wants him to p _retend to be bad_ … Lu Han is a defender. He’s played defense almost his entire life, and now all of a sudden he has to lie?! Pretend he has no idea what he’s doing all because he came up with a stupid little lie to spite the dude Jongdae tried to set him up with but instead rejected Lu Han first?

“You’re right… that’s a good idea. Uhm, thanks. And sorry in advance, but… oh shit, he’s coming over here.”

Jongin looks very confused and halfway betrayed, and they haven’t even started playing. Yet he takes Lu Han’s captain’s armband and slips it on, and nobody balks when Jongdae is suddenly arm in arm with their opponent, hugging like the best damn friends they are while Minseok peers over Jongdae’s shoulder and gives Lu Han the biggest _wtf_ look he can muster.

  
  
  
  
  


The lose the match of course. It was kind of inevitable from the moment Lu Han, instead of confidently marching out into the field with the starting eleven, minced gingerly into position like he's just discovered that grass is green.

“You’re out of your element, Coffee Boy!” come the quips from the former pro athlete, testing every ounce of Lu Han’s pride and patience.

“Least I’m trying!” he yells back from the ground where his butt has turned completely green from his intentional slip-up. Minseok, expertly kicking the ball up and around him, just laughs as he runs on to make a shot on target. His team ruptures into screams a moment later when the kick goes in, and Lu Han barely gets off the ground in time to see it. Minseok, being lifted up by his fellows in a celebratory huddle, smirks backwards in Lu Han’s direction.

Jongin pants by Lu Han’s side, his head down, bent over, hands resting on his thighs. “I sure hope you know what you’re doing right now,” he sighs.

“I…”

Lu Han takes a look back at his other teammates, each registering a different level of regret. Kyungsoo’s kids are on the sidelines waving their firsts at him like they can’t believe Lu Han tripped over his own two feet when he should have—could have— stolen the ball.

A few minutes later he times a pass so that instead of connecting with Jongdae’s foot, it arches just past the forward right. Another opponent catches it and passes it to Minseok, who makes another beautiful run and kicks it right into the net again.

“Lu Hannnn…..” whines his teammates.

Jongin keeps his mouth shut, but he wisely switches Lu Han out halfway through the game. It’s too late to regain a lead, but Lu Han is relieved that he no longer has to fake it. Kyungsoo’s youngest child pummels his shoulder in annoyance until he tires, then he plops down on Lu Han’s lap to rest. They watch the rest of the game like that. Lu Han and a three-year old who has no idea why Lu Han is so fascinated by a shorter man with lightning reflexes who streaks across the field spewing sweat and energy, utterly taking Lu Han in until he’s irrevocably in love.

“Damnit,” he mutters again over the child’s head.

Then he gasps, covers the kid’s tiny ears with his hands like it’ll prevent contamination and rocks him back and forth in a game so he won’t remember the word to repeat to his dad later. Lu Han’s on two yellows technically with Kyungsoo already on the subject of his vocabulary, and Lu Han would kindly not like to be kicked in the balls later today.

He’s still carrying the boy in his arms when the game ends. Minseok trots over to shake Jongin’s hand in exchange for the good match-up, then continues on to where Lu Han stands.

“Cute kid. Yours?”

Lu Han smiles, but shakes his head. “Nope. Heard you were a pro before. Well, good game. Shame I couldn’t keep up. It’s just not my forte, you know.”

Minseok’s smile softens, graceful in victory. “We can’t all be good at everything. Will we see you around again? Or was this traumatic enough for you already? You know you’re not all that bad. With a little practice, you’d be pretty okay.”

Pretty okay, huh. “Thanks,” he says instead. “I guess we’ll see.”

There’s a few seconds pause before Minseok replies, just long enough to take Lu Han’s breath away. He feels his jaw lower from his mouth, strikes a tongue along the edge of his upper left canine, and sees Minseok’s eyes draw towards it.

“Yeah. We’ll see,” says the other man softly. Then he tips his head and runs back off.

Lu Han watches him go, dazed and confused, almost dropping the kid out of his arms before he remembers what he’s doing.

“Sehunnie,” he bounces the three year old up and around and starts walking towards the stands. “I think he was flirting with me. What do you think, Sehun? Was he flirting with me?” The kid doesn't answer. He's fallen asleep. _That brat._

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


A week later and Lu Han faceplants on a table in the same little cafe where Minseok works, Jongdae snickering by his side, and the man of his affections nowhere in sight. For now.

“Better sit up,” says his friend under his breath, “before lover boy comes back this way.”

“Shhh, don’t call him that.” Lu Han quickly looks around.

It’s only the second time he’s come here, and this time he wasn’t forced, dragged, cheated, or deceived into walking inside. He has a mission this time, and that’s to somehow magically undo that ill-conceived text conversation he started with Minseok around a month ago wherein he expressly told the guy he wasn’t interested in dating him.

They came in for food this time. Lu Han orders a small sandwich and a fruit salad to go with the _brew-of-the-day_ coffee special. He’s been making eyes at Minseok whenever the guy comes by. Slyly, of course. Not that Jongdae misses anything.

“You should never have told him you didn’t like footbal. Seriously, Luhan, what were you thinking?”

Lu Han hangs his head and mopes. “It’s your fault,” he grumbles.

“How is my fault?”

“Because you pestered us for weeks about dating when we’d never even met, and now that I think about it, he started it when he deliberately said he didn’t like coffee. How else was I supposed to answer? Pretend to get offended?”

“So... making up a lie was better?”

Lu Han ignores him. “And why the heck does a guy who doesn’t like coffee work in a coffee shop?”

“ _Cafe,_ ” Jongdae amends.

“ _Please._ This place reeks of coffee. How can he stand it? Is he defective? Does his nose even work?”

A shadow looms between them on the table. And waits.

Lu Han chuckles and looks up, right into Minseok’s pleasantly smiling face. He’s standing there balancing their sandwich tray in one hand, replacement cups of coffee in the other.  Lu Han withholds the whine he desperately wants to utter. “Minseok…” he squeaks breathily.

“You ordered the BLT, ‘hold the L and the T’ is that right?”

Lu Han nods. Their eyes never even break contact.

“Then here’s your order, more coffee as well. I hope you enjoy it. By the way, there’s absolutely nothing defective when it comes to my body.”

Lu Han continues smiling when the other winks down at him, before sliding away.

He scolds Jongdae for laughing. It doesn’t help. He sips his coffee instead and chases a piece of bacon when it falls out of his sandwich. Minseok has taken up his post by the front door, and Lu Han glances in every direction but there.

“By the way, he owns this place. Actually.” Jongdae grins and wags his eyebrows.

“Huh.” Lu Han is not impressed. Much.

  
  
  
  
  
  


He comes in by himself a few days later. Damn appearances’ sake, damn Jongdae, damn Minseok himself. Lu Han hasn’t slept well in a few nights time—and no he won’t admit what he does in his bed when he’s not technically sleeping—and no he cannot let this go on any longer!

He pushes open the door of the cafe, boldly inserting himself into Minseok’s small place and nearly chokes on his saliva at the first sight he sees.

Minseok is sitting behind the counter on his normal stool, one knee bent over the other with his head practically buried behind a large mug of steaming hot… _coffee_?

Minseok freezes. _Caught_ , say his eyes in a panic.

Lu Han too doesn’t move. His eyes flit between the posture and Minseok’s frightened gaze, to his lips which stretch around the rim of the coffee mug, halfway into a long caffeinated gulp. Finally, Minseok straightens up and sets the coffee down.

“Good afternoon. Can I find you a table? Inside seating or patio?”

“Wherever you might be able to join me at,” says Lu Han. His insides quiver in excitement.

Minseok looks around, and Lu Han anticipates his question. “It’s just me today. I didn’t tell Jongdae. Don’t worry, he doesn’t have to be involved.”

“Involved?” Minseok stutters.

Lu Han doesn’t answer, however, neither does Minseok press him. It’s mid-afternoon in the cafe and there are very few customers here. He shows him a table in the corner that’s still in sight of the door and together they sit down across from each other.

“You’re drinking coffee,” Lu Han says casually.

Minseok laughs, a small airy sound that makes Lu Han literally want to melt for how much he realizes he likes it. “I… may have over-exaggerated that one time…when I said I didn’t like coffee.”

“Over-exaggerated?”

“Lied.”

“Outright?”

“Boldly.” Minseok laughs again, his eyes embarrassed but his cheeks blushing red. “What about you?”

“Oh, well you know, Jongdae being a pain… and the last time he tried to set me up with someone, the guy was a total jerk! I didn’t realize it for a while, but I think he was so shy so he just insulted me enough times that I didn’t find it attractive.”

“But…” Minseok pries.

“But, so… yeah. Why did you resist?”

“Honestly?” Minseok’s forehead crinkles upwards. “Same reason.” He laughs. “Maybe after your failed romance, Jongdae set me up with the same guy? I have to admit I didn’t trust him when he started going on and on about this guy named Lu Han. That… he played football with.”

The blood sinks from Lu Han’s cheeks.

“He says you’re the best bloodydamn defender he’s had the pleasure to play with? I have to admit, I was kind of looking forward to the matchup the other week.”

Lu Han lets those words soak in. Then his face drops, smile evident even as he stares at the small grains of the wooden table.

“Damn that man, oh Jongdae…” he whistles.

Minseok laughs. Lu Han peels his gaze away from the table and looks up, cautiously. A new start.

“Want a rematch?”

“After I finish my coffee.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


They play that evening, one on one. Lu Han has never sweated so much in a game, but Minseok may be the best opponent he’s ever had to go against. They’re not even dressed for it. Minseok rolls up his slacks to the knee and takes off his shirt. That’s cheating if Lu Han’s ever seen cheating before. Bare abs and a slim waist, pants only held up by a belt that digs into the skin of his toned stomach muscles.

Lu Han himself isn’t any better off, even if he at least wore shorts today. His white shirt is soaked through, basically transparent as it sticks to his chest, but his hair flies up with every mad dash he makes, and there’s no way he looks attractive right now. Not like Minseok whose ass still looks good in his grass tinted pants and his hair coifed up in a ponytail atop his head.

They land in a heap after only thirty minutes of play. Every muscle in Lu Han’s body aches.  Playing so hard against someone who went pro, this may be his crowning moment in life. Minseok got around him two more times than Lu Han did, making their ‘score’ something around 4-2, but Lu Han is still proud. He got to see Minseok at his best. Minseok got to see him trying his best. And now the other man lies halfway underneath him where they tangle in the grass, the ball rolling innocently beside them.

“Game?” Minseok pants. He runs a hand through his now loosed bangs. Lu Han can’t take his eyes off the other man’s chest where he pounds air through his lungs and his heart beats up and down.

“Game,” Lu Han sighs. He’s so tired.

And disgusting. Dirty, exhausted, whooped. And very much enamored.

“My place is a couple minutes'walk from here. Want to freshen up before you go home?” Minseok offers.

  
  
  
  
  


He agrees of course.

There will never be a better opportunity to get naked in Minseok’s shower.

And it’s especially gratifying when Minseok joins him there. His back against the tile wall, warm water beating down from the shower head when Minseok slams his lips against Lu Han’s and swallows all his moans, and all his exhaustion. He feels his body swimming back to life. Their bodies glisten under the foaming soap, slick as Minseok’s fingers move up and down, mapping Lu Han’s chest, his nipples, his hips, his ass, then back around to cock as they slot and rut together.

Lu Han captures his lips when the come, turning the shorter man against the wall instead and caging him there, hands finding each other’s. He holds him there, knuckles against the wall as their hips beat together and the water dashes the flow of their desires down the drain. Then, when it’s all over and done with, he kisses Minseok again. And again.

  
  
  
  


“I opened up that cafe when I retired early from football. It keeps me going, the smell of coffee, seeing my customers enjoying the fruits of my labor.”

They cuddle on the sofa together, practically naked, their phones on silent because Jongdae keeps texting them in turn, asking where they are.

“Well now that I know that, I’ll have to come around every day… I may get jealous of your other customers.”

His hand is tucked beneath Minseok’s thigh. He kisses him on the neck, and Minseok gasps, arching off the couch.

“Then come every day.”

“Can we come again now?”

Minseok’s next gasp evaporates into the air, the last words he utters for a while. “Yeah… Oh… please…. Yes.”

 


End file.
